La Cabanita

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Review

9 reviews

#20 of 62 Restaurants in Manahawkin$, Mexican

+1 609-488-2056+ Add website

Hours

Mon

7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Tue

7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Wed

7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Thu

7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Fri

7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sat

7:00 am - 4:00 pm

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Ratings and reviews

4.5

9 reviews

#20 of 62 Restaurants in Manahawkin

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Details

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CUISINES

Mexican

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Location and contact

621 E Bay Ave, Manahawkin, NJ 08050-3326

+1 609-488-2056

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Is this a Mexican restaurant?

Yes

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CUISINES

Mexican

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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4.5

9 reviews

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rwa

Surf City288 contributions

Real Mexican Food

Dec 2022 • none

Our visit was for a late lunch. We were promptly and cheerfully greeted and seated where we chose on a chilly December weekday afternoon. Inside, the temperature was just right, and he tables, seats, windows and floors were clean as a whistle. We ordered from the main menu, and just by chance, one item was specially priced 20 percent lower on that particular day. Multi colored chips with a mild salsa was on the table with our request for waters with lemon. Our order was taken and the food was obviously prepared to order. The empandas and the chimichanga platters (choice of chicken, pork, shrimp or beef slivers - or vegetarian) with authentic Mexican rice and beans were served hot, and the salad was crisp and fresh, with a nice slice of lime. The smiling server was sure to check back to replenish waters and see if all was satisfactory.

Written 4 December 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Haylie

Hoboken54 contributions

So Good!

Jul 2023 • family

The food was incredible. We ordered the chicken sopes, chicken tacos, and guacamole and everything was delicious. The serving sizes were generous (3 loaded chicken sopes and 4 chicken tacos), so we even had lunch for the next day. The food was authentic and so fresh. We ordered it for pick up, but we want to go back and eat outside because they had a cute outdoor set up. Would highly recommend this place if you’re looking for tasty authentic food!

Written 8 July 2023

Beth M

7 contributions

Authentic, friendly and delish

Feb 2024 • friends

When I visit LBI, this is one of my fave Mexican restaurants. Actually its one of my fave restaurants period. All of their food is made authentically and with care. The size of the dishes can be quite big but it adds to the fun. They make their own hot sauces (that you have to ask for) that are SO GOOD though their salsa that they bring to the table with tortilla chips is just so-so. That's about the only thing that is so-so about their menu. Its also a very friendly staff and a warm inviting vibe which I really appreciate. So I can relax and engage with my friends.

Written 24 April 2024

johanna A

1 contribution

Very Disappointing

Sept 2023 • solo

Went to La Cabanita because the reviews were all very good. Our experience was not. The food was terrible, overcooked and dry. Asked for sour cream thinking it might help. It did not help at all. Service was slow and to add insult to injury we were billed for the sour cream. Left more than half the food behind. Will not be going back.

Written 2 September 2023

Anon8815

Trenton755 contributions

Busy!

Aug 2023 • solo

Best Mexican I've had down the shore. Not the best I've ever had, but hits the mark. Was pleasantly surprised that the sauces actually had some spice/heat to them. I might go for another dessert over the tres leches but again, still better than many others I've had. Try to go at an off time as they were very busy and the staff was clearly working hard.

Written 2 August 2023

sitzmark60

Barnegat114 contributions

A Gem for Authentic Mexican Food

May 2022 • none

We had an outstanding dinner at La Cabanita. Great authentic Mexican food in a very clean and relaxed atmosphere. Our server was helpful and friendly and we had an excellent dinner. The menu has many selections and we will be back to try the others ! Well Done !!

Written 8 May 2022

Katherine K

Little Egg Harbor276 contributions

Taco Tuesday

Sept 2023 • couples

Excellent Mexican food with two dollar tacos on Tuesday. The restaurant was really busy for lunch and the tacos and burritos were great. Outside are beautiful flowers, and it would be nice to sit outside.

Written 5 September 2023

rrringer

Manahawkin23 contributions

Ole’

Jun 2023 • family

This is not my first time here. But as always the food was fantastic. It was fresh & full of flavor with very large portions. I highly recommend la Cabinita

Written 6 June 2023

Kahoona103

New Jersey59 contributions

Authentic Mexican Food here at home

Jan 2023 • none

It was back in 1983. I was working ops in the small town of San Dionisio del Mar in Oaxaca in southwestern Mexico. It is part of the Juchitán District in the east of the Istmo de Tehuantepec region. We were meeting with some Mexican policía friendlies, and we all went out to eat at a local restaurant. Our friends chose to eat inside due to the heat and because as they said, "You sit and feel at home". The walls were red, the floors were terracotta, the ceiling fans were spinning and the aromas were pure heaven. It was just what you would expect in Mexico. The food was terrific, the cervezas were ice cold and I will never forget the people, the food, and the hospitality there. Fast forward 30 years--- Manahawkin, NJ-2023---It was Taco Tuesday, and My wife, and I both had a hankering for authentic Mexican food. Not that Taco Bell stuff, I mean like I ate 40 years ago in San Dionisio del Mar There are three Mexican ristorantes in Manahawkin, some better than others, but La Cabanita Authentic Mexican Cuisine restaurante we consider the very best. The building La Cabanita now operates had been a small breakfast café for years and then went out of business during COVID. The present owners all apparently Mexican as far as I know purchased the building and gutted it and rebuilt a quaint small café with maybe 14-15 tables. As you walk in you are immediately greeted by one of the friendly beautiful waitresses with menus and seated. The specials are keenly placed so that you can see them and boy they looked good. The décor was purely Mexican, not gaudy, but very tasteful. I was immediately back in San Dionisio del Mar with my Team with cervezas in hand. Then the heavenly aromas of freshly grilled steak, and chicken wafted from the grille and my mouth started to water. Busy behind the counter were the chef and his crew cooking and creating some of the most authentic Mexican food in the area. When I go to ethnic restaurants I look at the clientele. Here we had everyone from landscapers to retirees and Police. That tells you something, it tells you you found a good one. We were greeted by the lovely Anna and ordered the ice-cold Coca-Cola with complimentary chips and salsa. Sitting and relaxing sipping on my Coke I began looking through the extensive menu I spied numerous entrees that I wanted to taste. From the traditional taco ($2 on Taco Tuesdays) to the camarones al ajillo, sopes, steak Bistec a la Mexican, huarache and Chimichangas. Then it happened, Anna came by us with a sizzling platter of fajitas to serve the table behind us. Not only did the heavenly aroma permeate the dining room, but many patrons were looking at this presentation as well. When Anna came back with that cute smile of her's she took our orders. My wife ordered the Pollo Chimichanga and I of course ordered a small bowl of the creamy guacamole, grilled jalapenos, and of course the fajitas. We sat there thoroughly enjoying the fresh guacamole and the tri-color chips with two sauces, a green fire sauce, and the traditional red sauce. After a short time, the food parade began to arrive. Did you ever order dinner and immediately realize you would never eat it all? Well, this is apparently what La Cabanita is known for. My wife's Pollo Chimichanga was huge, a toasted burrito with a luscious creamy cheese sauce, chocked full of sauteed chicken that was seasoned just perfectly. A portion of yellow rice and black beans accented with a fresh salad. Boy did that look good. Then came my fajita lunch. It arrived at the table sizzling and smoking on a hot cast iron pan on a well-used burnt wood platter. The mound of steak, sautéed peppers, and onions all seasoned perfectly and was expertly presented beautifully. My side of three jalapenos with salsa came next along with the freshly steamed tortillas, the rice, and beans with salsa. I began digging into this beauty of a mound of steak. Placing tender steak strips, onions, and bell peppers with a slice of grilled jalapeno with the creamy white sauce and the fire sauce was my strategy. Then that bite, OMG! The flavors and the sensation of the spicy jalapeno coupled with the spices and that green fire sauce were heavenly. Not over seasoned at all. There was the right amount of cumin, pepper, and other spices. The rice and beans were scrumptious (I could have made a meal of the beans) and the ice-cold Mexican Coca-Cola accented everything. We sat and ate until we were really full. Looking at both platters, it was surely enough for dinner later on. Anna came over and provided boxes for the leftovers and threw in a whole bag of fresh chips. The chef at La Cabanita apparently has a set of dishes and culinary techniques that are truly part of Mexican tradition. I can truly say that they serve you authentic and unique dishes with all the Mexican flavor that you would find if you had traveled to the Mexican countryside all coupled with a very reasonable price.